Mining machine



July 22, 1930.

M. P. HOLMES MINING MACHIIQE Filed Dec. 30, 1922 3 Sheets-$heet 1 & m

July 22, 1930. HOLMES 1,770,924-

' MINING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30, 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 i?lillilllllllllllllllllIi? IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII July 22, 1930. M. P. HOLMES 1,770,924

' MINING MACHINE Filed Dec. 30; 1922 s Sheets-Sheet 3 v 35 side of the machine,

Patented July 22, 1930 1m STATE semi; ion-m f i I MORRIS P. HOLMES, or cLeRE vxo iv'r, new HAMnsJaIRE, Ass enon T SULLIVAN 'MACHZINEBY COMPANY, AIGORPOBA TION OE MASSACHUSETTS MINING MACHINE Application fi1edpece nber 30, 1l922. Ser'ial No, 610,031.

' y n enti elates in 'min ng' m ch e It has forits object tofl'provide a improved mining machine, and, more'particularly, to provide an-improvedminingmachine of the flexibly fed type. further 0 1 961 of my" invention is to 'provide improved feeding" mechanism for'such a machine utilizing a feed operating member and a take-up member on the machine whereby the power may be 10 proportioned as desired between these mem bers. A more spec fic ObJQGi) of my invention is to provide an improved feeding mechanism of the type mentioned having improved means whereby, while the machine maybe balanced as desired, the waste of power liereQ tofore involved in braking thetake-upmem-v her during the cut across the face may be minimized. These and other objects and advantages of my inven ion will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown for purposes of' illustration one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice. In these drawings, 7 I

Fig. l is a plan view'of a mining inachine constructed in accordance with my improvement, portions of the casing being fbroken away to facilitate illustration.

F ig. 2 is a transverse sec-a0] 'on line 21-2 ofI igml. I I V I Fig. 3 is aside elevation of therear end of the advancing side of thelmachine.

Fig. 4 is a side elevationof the opposite F 1g. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the machine indifferent cutting positions while cutting a face. 1

7 9 ather w ef which is transmitted t as" sprocket 4 and also to a feed operating member dand take-up 7 disposed on transverse axes on the opposite sides of the frame. Both, thesemembers 6 and 7 whichmay obviously 1 assume various forms and, cooperate flexiblefeeding members of diflerentchar M t r, are hovn he e n. n the ar -o a n sprockets adapted to cooperate with aiflexiblefeeding'member in the form ofja. feed chain, 8, th ends of which are'adap'ted to be fixed 6U adl fiellt the Oppos te ribs with t n if mediate portion-cooperating with the mem bers (Sand 7. Themechani'smfor drivingthe members 6 and 7 and the cutter chain driving sprocket 4 is herein ofjthevariable" reaction 5 v type described andcl'aimed'in my copending} application which has now matured into Patent 1,544,071 granted June 30, 1925. this mechanismper se does not enterinto the I present case, it will be suflicient herein to say 70.

that the oneend of the armature shaft of the i motor 5' carries a bevel pinion 9 meshing with a larger bevel gear 10 rotatable on an upright} axis and connected tothe sproclmtithrough variable reaction mechanism' ll normally;

operativetolpropel the feed by the reaction of the cutter chainfand including'a hand wheel adjusted brakeband=12which is adj U31? able to provide the necessary reaction when:

the bar isout ,of the coal. It will furthenbe so notedthat this mechanism includes a smaller bevel gear 13, disposed around a stud 14 cen- I tering' the mechanism 11 and sprocket 4,

which gear 13is disposed within the gear 10 .and forms the connection of the cutter chain 85.

driving mechanism to the feed. Here attentionfihowever, is directed to the factfthat 1 a Whilethis gear 13is shown' 'a's forming apart In this illustrativeconstruction I have N mechanism is not necessary tothe broad of 'a variable reaction 'mechanismsuch a phases of the present inventionlso that in considering these broad phases, the details of the variable reaction drive may be disregarded, andthe member 13 considered as I merely a power driven member rotated by &1 the motor and. transmittin the power therev. ofto themembfers 6 and f Thes membersG and '7' are hereincon-vv 'nectedto the'member '13jthrough diiferential V imm se termhale I hate;

siteends of which the members 6 and 7 are seated. This member 15 at one end rests against a suitable 7 ball bearing 17 seated against a central support 18 carried by the frameabove the upper endof the stud 14, the construction being such that the member 15 is freely rotatable about the shaft 116 andthe latter is freely rotatable relative to the support 18, a suitable bearing means, for example a sleeve 19, being provided between the shaft and the support. The member 15 also carries thereon a plurality of spur pinions 2O journaled on suitable horizontally disposed radially located stud-s 21 and meshing both with a pinion 22 comprising teeth carried or formed on the-shaft 16 and the teeth of an internal gear 23 housing the'pinions, the latter being disposed between the pinion 22 and the internal periphery of the internalgear. shown, the internal gear is also provided with a sleeve 24 keyed as at 25 to thehub of a fric-V tion drum 26 and the sleeve 24 is also connected through a semi-permanent clutch connection 27 with a sleeve 28 on thefeed operating member 6, a suitable bearing, as for instance a b'allbearing 29, being providedbetween thesleeve 28 land the drum hub, and suitaby positioned on the frame 1. As illustrated, the member 6 is also suitably connected to a reduced portion 30 on the end of the shaft 16 as by a bolt and washer connection 31. Further, it will be noted that the friction drum 26 is actedupon by a suitable brake band 32 operatively connected to a control lever 33 on the top of the frame so that by movement of this lever, the' brake band may be adjusted to grip or release the drum 26. Here attention is also directed. to the'fact that the take-up member 7 isprov'ided with a sleeve 34 similar to'the sleeve 28but longer and keyed as at 35 to the shaft 16, and to the 155 further fact that this sleeve 34 'is in turn keyed as at 36 to a friction drum 37 operated upon by a brake band 38, the latter being controllable by acontrol lever 39 corresponding i to the lever 33 controlling the other drum.

Also preferably a bearing 40, similar to the bearing 29, and bolt and washer connection '41, similar to the connection 31, are provided. lVhile the flexible connections may assume different forms, it will be'underst-ood that in all forms a plurality of flexible feeding portions are utilized, one extending in advance of the machine and the other to the receding side thereof. In the form of my invention illlustrated wherein a continuous feed chain is provided, the advance flexible feeding portion which is, for example, connected to the left hand rib, extends around a guide 42 on a vertical axis at the front end of the advancing side of the machine and then rearward from 7 this guide under a cooperating'guide 43 on a transverse axis and slightly in front of and ber 8 passing from under this guide 43 over the member 6 and beneath a cooperating guide 44 journaled on a transverse axis below the member 6 and slightlyin rear thereof. From this member 44 the member Sthen passes rearward around aguide 45 carried ona vertical axis oiithe rear end of theframe and transversely across the rear end thereof to a guide 46 disposed at a slight angle to the vertical as illustrated, and then forward along the receding side of the machine over and then under the take-up member 7 and rearward from the under side of that member,-over a cooperating guide 47 likewise disposed on a transverse axis and located slightly in rear and below the member 7 and then to another guide 48di-sposed on an axis at a slightly more acute angle to the vertical than the axis of the guide '46and located on the receding side thereof and in a plane below the latter, which guide 48acts to direct thereceding portion of the member 8 to its connection at the right hand .rib.

In the operation of my improved construction, it will be apparent that if the portion of the member 8 on the advancing side of the machine is suitably connectedto the face as at 49 with the machine disposed as illustrated in full lines in ig. 5 and the extremity of the receding portion of the member 8 connected to the right hand rib as shown at 50, by suitably rotating the, member 6, the advancing portion may be drawn in in such manner as to cause the machine to move from its full line position to its right hand dotted line position as it is sumped in under the face, the advancing portion being shortened and the receding portion being lengthened as illustrated in that figure, this operation being eifectedwh'en' the brake band 38 is applied and brake band 32 slacked up, the feed then being controllable by tightening the band 32 or loosening the band 38. When the machine is in the right hand dotted line position shown in'Fig. 5 with the member 8 reset for transverse cut with its jack49 then at the left hand rib, it will. be evident that a transverse movement of the machine will be effected, the advance flexibleportion then being drawn in and the receding flexible portion then being paid out, More. particularly it will be noted that during this operation, due to the unequal differential mechanism provided,

the power supplied toxtlle feed, operatingmember '6 is ;materially ,greaterthanjthat supplied to the take-up .member ,7, the ;pro-

portion Varying with the particular,gearingusedln'the unequal dllferentlal mechanism,

For example, in the mechanism illustrated approximately a six .fthousand pound pull may be exerted 'by themember 6 whilethe member .7 may exert apullfof only approximately. twothousandtpoundathe construction thus lbeing such that :the' power supplied to the members 6 and isproportional tofthe work required to beper'formedby the respectivefmembers. Obviously if it iis des'ired at anytime during this transverse cuttingoperQ ation to vary the angle .of the ,machine, this may be accomplished by varying the setting ofvthe brakebands inlsuchmanner as to cause the machine to be angled to the right or left as-desired, while it will be understood'that when it is desired to completethe cut and'back themachineout. of .the cut at the left hand rib,-this movement 'may also be obtained by suitable manipulation of; the brake. bands.

Hereit will of courseibeiunderstood that the construction is such that it, is possible atv all times to maintain the :feeding mechanism in the desired I balanc ed relation through the bands 32!:and -38, the unequal differential simply eliminating the unnecessarypowerstood that thegear ratioofthe variable reaction m6Cl1a I1 lSI I1,Wlll be such as to; adapt it touse with the'unequal differential mechanisnna v e ,As "a result of my improved construction it willibe :noted "that-it is possible to proportion the power supply to ,the two members 6andi7 in-such manner as to -makeit entire 1y :unnecessary to waste ,power 1 during crossessary Where an equal amount ofpower is connected to both the feed operating member an'd thetake-np member,,my improved mechanism taking advantage. of the well knownxfact'that the ,pull; onthe receding portiongisronly-necessarily2a fraction ofthat necessary'onthe, advancing portion and proportioning the power delivered toe-these two members in such manner I that while the power required to :besuppliedto each of the two I members is :always; sufficient, there is no necessity for the large waste of ,power-uheretofore necessary when i the take-up is I operated. Attention is further'directed to the fact that through the unequal differential. mechanism provided, it is made possiblev byv the substitution of differentfiets 0f gearing served that while the -mechanis 1'nfis shown herein as applied only to a left hand machine, i. .e. a ,machine adapted to cut from right toleft, the same maybe embodiedin aright- 'handmaehine when desired, the two :machines differing onlyfin that the mechanism ."shown atthewright and left hand sides in- Fig. 2 shall be transposed. V v V v a NVhile I have in this application specifical- 1y describedone embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be ,un-

vary' this proportion as desiredtomeet g dilferent circumstances, It "willalso be obderstood'thatthis {IEOI'ID of=the same is shown 1 for-purposes of illustration andthatrfthe same ,may' be modified "and'embodied in. various other formswithout departing fromlits spirit or. the scopelof the appended claims;

. V .hat Iclaim as new and desire'to secure Letters Patent is: l;

1., The combination with aflexibly fed' mining machine having relatively rotatable feed operating and take-upmembers each adapted tocooperate with flexible feeding means, a shaft iconstantly rotatable with one of said members, and a power operated unequal differential mechanism between said shaft and theiother of said-members, said differential mechanism comprising l drivenz members through oneofwhich said shaft'is driven and through the other OfWhlCh said last mentioned member is driven.-

,2 The combination With a flexi fy a mining machine" having relativelyvr-rotatable feed operating and take-up memberseachadapted to gcooperatewith' flexible feeding means, a

shaft constantly rotating one ofsaidmembers, and a power operated unequal differential mechanism betw een said shaft and the other of said members including an element ro-' tatable with saidshaft andanelement-rotata ble relative to" .said element and. with I said other. member;

:3. f In combination with-a .liexi'bly v fed miningmachine having relatively rotatable feed *o'perating and take-upmembers each adapted V I p to cooperate with fiexible'feeding means, ing theface by brakingthe-take upasiis necpower connections:thereforfineludinga shaftL pimonrotatingwith said shaft, meshing pinions rotatable about said shaft, and-an intericonstantlymotating one of said members, a

nal gear engaging saidlast mentioned pinions operating and take-up members each adapted to cooperate with .flexible feeding means, a

shaft constantly'rotating one of said members,"

a power operated unequal;difi'erential mechanism through which both ofv-said'members are driven andlarranged between said shaft and the t 'bf d- I d frictional controlling mechanism l for said members.

5. The combination with a flexibly fed mining machine .havingr-elatively rotatable :feed

operating and take-up members each adapted to cooperate with flexible feeding means, a shaft constantly rotating one of said members,

a power operated unequal differential mechanism betweensaid shaftand-the other of said members'including an element rotatable with said'shaft and an element rotatable relative to said element and with said other member,

' and frictional controlling mechanismforsaid members. 7

i 6. In combination with a flexibly fed mining machine having relatively rotatable feed operating and take-up members each, adapted to cooperate with flexible feeding means, power connections therefor including a. shaft rotatable with one of said members, a pinion rotatable with said shaft, meshing pinions rotatable aboutsaid shaft, an internal gear meshing with said last mentioned pinions and rotatable with said other .member, and independent frictional controlling mechanism for each of said members.

7. In combination with aflexibly fed mining machine having relatively rotatable feed operating and take-up members each adapted to cooperate with flexible feeding means, power connections therefor including a shaft rotatable with one of said members and on the ends of whichsaid members are seated, a pinion rotating with said shaft, meshing pinions rotatable about said shaft, an internal ear meshin with said last mentioned inions to said feed operating memberthan to said take-up member while said members rotate at substantially the same angular speed. s p i 9. The combination in a mining machine of cutting mechanism, feeding mechanism operatively connected to said cutting mechanismand driven by the reaction thereof and including relatively rotatable feed operating and-take-up members each adapted to cooperate with flexiblefeeding means, and means for supplying a greater proportion of power to said feed operating member than to said take-up member while saidmembers rotate at substantially the same-angular speed and including adjustable controlling means for:

each of said members. 7 c

10. The combination m a mining ma:

chine ofcutting mechanism, feeding me'cha:

nism operatively connected to said cutting mechanism and driven by the reaction thereof and .including relatively rotatable feed operati-ng'a'nd takeup members each'adapted to cooperate with flexible feeding means, means for controllingthe reaction'of'said cutting mechanism,and means for supplying a greater proportion ofpower to, said feed operating member than to said take-up member while said members rotate at substantially the same angular speed and incuding adjustable controlling means for said members.

11. The combination with a flexibly fed mining machine having feed operating and take-up members respectively cooperating withadvance and receding flexible portions and controlling means for eachof said mem: bers, of power mechanism operative to cause said feed'operi ting member to place a greater tension on said advance portion while said take-up member is under a lesser tension, all while said members rotate at the same angular speed.

12. The combination with a flexibly fed mining machinehaving relatively rotatable feed operating and take-up members each adapted to cooperate with flexible feeding means and controlling means for each of'the same, of power mechanism including an unequal diflerential through which said members are driven operative to cause each memher to exert a different pull in the same direction, said diflerential having its driven members operatively connected respectively to said feed operating and'take-up members.

13. The combination with a flexibly fed mining machine including power driven feed operating and take-up members each adapted to cooperate with flexible'feeding means, of means including a differentialmechanism through which power is transmitted to said members and automatically operative dur-' ing the feeding operation to transmit torque in inverse and unequal ratios to said mem-. bers. 5

1 The combinationwith a flexibly fed mining machine" including power operated feed operating and take up members each adapted to cooperate with flexible feeding means, of means including a differential mechanism through which power is transmit-, ted to said members and automatically operative during the feeding operation to transmit torque to said members in inverse ratio and in proportionto the resistance to rotation thereof. I Y

15. The combination with a flexibly fed mining machine including power driven feed operating and take-up members each adapted to cooperate'with flexible feeding means, of means including a" differential mechanism" through whichpoweris transmitted to said members and automatically operative during the feeding operation to transmit a greater torque to said feed operating member than to said take-up member.

16.The combination with a flexibly fed mining machine including feed operating and take-upmembers eaohadapted to coopwith flexible feedin means of ower conn 7 nections therefor including an unequaldifler ential mechanism through which said mem- "bers are driven during the feeding operation for automatically supplying. more power to said feed operating member than to said take-.

up member.

18. In amining machine, a machine frame slidable on its bottom upon the mine bottom,

cutting mechanism thereon including a projecting cutter bar, a, motor, and feeding means driven by said motor for feeding the machine bodily laterallyover the mine bottom including frictionally controlled power driven feed operating and take-up members, flexible feeding means cooperatingwith said members including advanceand re- I ceding flexible feeding portionsiextending in opposite directions from opposite wa of said frame, and means driven bysaid motor for minimizing waste power except when said take-up member is operated to drawinthe flexible portion operated on thereby.

slidable on its bottom upon the mine bottom, cuttingcmechanism thereon including a pro; jecting zcutter bar, Y a motor, and feeding means driven by said motor for feedingthe machine bodily laterally over themine bot 40 tom includinga feed operating member and a take-up member both adapted to be rotated by powerfrom said motor, flexible feeding means cooperating withnsaid members in- V eluding advance and receding flexible feed ing portions extending inopposite directions from opposite ends of said frame, and mechanism' driven by said motor for differentially distributing power to said members and automatically operative to cause said members to exertja different pull on their-respective 7 flexible feeding portions to effect feed of the machine in a substantially straight path transversely across the coal face. r

' j 20. In a miningmachine, a machineframe; slidable on its bottom upon the mine bottom,

cutting mechanism thereon including a :projectin'g cutter bar, a' motor, and feeding means'driven by said motor for feeding the '1 machine bodily laterally over themine bote a take-up member both adapted tobe-rotated by power from said motor, flexible feeding; 'means cooperating w1th sa d members 1n-- veluding advance and receding flexible feed-' M ing portions extending in opposite directions eluding, ad i san r ceding fi l m driven @by s d Q Q PiI F h Qi s u i e th qu wwhi hcsaid mem- I ber'sare driven and operat'ive to cause each m er aXr -f ifi ent. elle 6111 the r "respectiverflexiblefeeding portions, said difv v ferenti'alliaving driven {elements "respective-= e 'andoperatively connected to said ;members means driven by said motor for feeding the cooperating with said members including admembers.

-cutting mechanism thereon including a pro- JGCtlIlg cutter bar, a motor, andfeeding tom-including a feed operating member and p g V I operating w th sald members ncluding ad 21 i n n r eh ea frame slidable on its 'lJ-OttOl'lI-llll) lm 'hin 7% 011 the m bet smrx i t e me h m her on t n lldf an pr i fi ev llt bar,- almo aae j r 7 feeding; means, driven by ,said motor for,

ii d i'g mane o ily: lat y he, m n t mi lud fl ka I ee peratin membe y an d atake-up member, andjeontroljlingzmeansfforeachr ofthe same flexible feedr s-me n p refi ee ith aid ie ers n Po ons ex end n reopp sift rdir et ens from oppos teendslof sa d frame and meoha 11 -1 ly connected tosaid feed operating and take up meinbers. a r

22,111 a mining machine, a machine frame :slidable onus bottom upon the mine bottom, T f'cutting mechanism thereon including a pro- 7. 19; Ina mining machine, a machine frame) jecting cutter bar, a motor,'and feeding machine bodily laterally over the mine bottom including a feed operating member, and

a take-up member, and "controllingmeans for each of the same, flexible feeding means Vance and receding flexible feeding portions extending in opposite directions from oppo site ends of said frame, ,andfimechanism driven by said motor including an unequal differential through which said members are driven and operative to cause said feed oper ating member to exert a greater and said take-up; member a lesser pull on their .respec,

tive flexible feeding portions,said diifereni tial having driven members respectivelyconnected "to said" feed operating and take-up 23; In a mining machine, amachine frame slidable on its bottom upon the mine bottom, 1 120 means driven by said-'motor'forfeeding the machine bodily'lat'erally cover the mine bottom including-a feed operating member and. atake-up member, flexible feeding means covance and-'recedingflexible feeding. portions' driven said motor including a power e feeding:- 8%" I driven element andoperative connections be.- tween said elementand said members differentially distributing power to said members and Operative automatically to cause each of the latter to exert a different pull on their respective flexible feeding portions.

24. In a mining machine, a machine frame slidable on its bottom upon the mine bottom,'cutting mechanism thereon including a projecting cutter bar, a motor, and feeding means driven bysaid motor for feeding the machine'bodily laterally over the mine bottom including a feed operating member and a take-up member, flexible feeding means cooperating with said members including advance and receding flexible feeding portions extending in opposite directions from opposite"ends of said frame; and mechanism driven by said motor including a power driven element and operative connections between said element and sa'id feed operating and take-up membersincluding an unequal difi'erentialthrough-Which said members are driven, said differential having difi'e're'nt ele- 25 ments respectively connected to said feedv operating and take-up members.

i i testimony whereof I 'afiix Inysignatureq H I 1 HOLMES. 

